Telangana is witnessing an epidemic of suicides by farmers who are struggling to repay loans and cope with the distress caused by deficient monsoon rainfall. At least 100 farmers from telangana are reported to have taken their lives in the last two months in India’s newest state, where the Telangana Rashtra Samithi came to power aided by a promise to write off farm loans.

No significant progress has been made on loan waivers in Telangana state where some 50 lakh farmers owe at least Rs 50,000 crore in crop loans to banks. Last fortnight, the TRS government announced it would write off up to Rs 1 lakh per farmer, aggregating Rs 19,000 crore.

The distress situation appears more alarming in Telangana as agriculture is largely borewell-dependent in the state where power shortage is severe. Banks have stepped up pressure on telangana farmers to repay loans.